Predator and Prey
by norman steve
Summary: To hunt a killer.


The man in the green combat suit smirked. It was the cocky grin of one who had dealt death one too many times before and enjoyed every bit of it… The smile faltered for an instant… He enjoyed death too much precisely because he had no past life. No, _beloved_ Emperor Mengsk had seen to that when he was abducted at the tender age of six to become a ghost. His lips twitched, and then settled with a hardening of his eyes. The wretch will pay for it one day… By the gods of the Terrans, Zerg and Protoss, they will all pay…

Echoes from the past threatened to overcome him. The poor dog! No! The purple beast is too near it. His hands trembled, his eyes mirrored those of the canine. Haunted. The beast tore through the innocent animal and he averted his gaze. Pain. "I promise I won't steal cookies again Mum!" His eyes opened from the dream of the memory. No, he was not in his house. A muscled hand callously slammed his head against the metal cage. Inside, the beast was feasting on the remains of the dog. The cage door opened. A human baby was thrown in… The young boy screamed… The boy was no more.

His training kicked in and he realized that he had lost concentration on a mission. He checked a curse before it escaped his lips. He snorted. Perhaps he was being overly cautious, giving his opponent too much credit. Hunter killer? "Bah, the slithering worm is no match for me and mine." His supposed superiors had cautioned him of the formidable creature, telling him over and over again how powerful and intelligent it was, until it had become almost a children's rhyme. Those fools! He was a ghost. When he decided on a prey, it is already dead. Certain as causality. Besides, he was the best…

Still, he was on enemy ground. The creep was turquoise here on Char, the primary planet of the Zerg. A galloping zergling spotted him and swerved to intercept. A casual sidestep and flash of steel later, the creature was pouring its lifeblood out. Wreathing on the ground. He could sense the Killer's presence nearby… His enhanced biosuit and natural senses detected a drip of water behind him. The canister rifle was out and coughing even before he turned his head to look at the Killer.

Green blood spurted out from the serpentlike thing. The enhanced hydralisk screamed… In pain, fury or warning, Greemus did not know. All he felt was the thrill of combat, the joy of the hunt, the ecstasy of dealing death. It had thought to surprise him by distracting him with its comrade and slaughtering him from behind. But he knew the beast to be hiding behind that outcropping of rock all along. Injured, the Killer took cover behind the said rock. It did so with a speed which rather surprised the cynical ghost. Greemus made a gesture and his form dissipated. The air shimmered… and all the world is blind to his passing.

Rounding the corner, he was annoyed to find that his quarry was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it had burrowed? He did not sense anything nearby. But the trail of green was condemning. A little disappointed that his mission will end so easily, he followed the blood nonetheless. The hunter's hunter, the killer's killer. A short minute later, there it was. Crouching behind a zerg structure which looked like a…. plant for lack of a better word. Still, there was something about the Killer that bothered him, but putting aside thoughts of plants and auras, he raised his weapon. The creature managed to fire several bursts of needles but they were dodged with superhuman speed. Those that do hit merely dented his armor. His own rifle replied. His aim was true. The alien fell to the ground headless. It melted into the creep.

Greemus raised an eyebrow before a shadow loomed over him. He turned around withdrawing his holoblade at the same time. The nanosword was knocked away easily by a large scythe. The reaper's scythe came down to collect its harvest. But neither pain nor fear was felt by the Terran. Perhaps it was the harsh light of Char, but he thought he saw the Killer's face…. It was smirking.


End file.
